In Sports News this Monday: Koudelka wins second World Cup ski jump event and leads competition; Lafata voted best Czech footballer in first half of season in “absence” of Čech; Rosický may leave Arsenal to get regular games, says agent; and Czech team set national records at World 25M Swimming Championships.
Ski jumper Koudelka returns to World Cup podium
Roman Koudelka, photo: CTK
The Czech ski jumper Roman Koudelka has again topped the podium at a World Cup event. After coming first in Germany’s Klingenthal at the start of the season, the 25-year-old achieved the second World Cup win of his career in Lillehammer on Sunday. Koudelka, who now holds the yellow jersey as competition leader, produced the best display in the first round at the Norwegian resort with a jump of 140m. When the referees called off the second round due to poor weather the Czech was able to celebrate another triumph - and a jubilant Koudelka was clearly pleased to get back on the podium.
“After Klingenthal there was a bit of a downturn in my performances and my jumps didn’t go so well. I put a lot of strength into them, but my technique wasn’t so good, and my placings were lower and lower. I had a bad feeling about that, even though I was still ninth or better, which is still excellent. But the icing on the cake was lacking, and reaching the podium once again has been amazing.”
Lafata voted footballer of first half of season in “absence” of Čech
David Lafata, photo: CTK
Sparta Prague captain David Lafata has triumphed in a poll of journalists for best Czech footballer in the first half of the season. Between Champions League qualifiers, Europa League and Czech league games the 33-year-old has bagged a very respectable 23 goals so far this term. Still, Lafata says he was taken aback by the result.
“I’m very surprised. I have to admit that I don’t follow these polls much, because Petr Čech usually wins everything. There was no point in even following them. But of course it’s a great honour, even though we’re just halfway through the season. On the other hand, it’s an honour for the whole of Sparta. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
Čech to stay at Chelsea but Rosický may leave Arsenal during transfer window, suggest agents
Petr Čech, photo: Filip Jandourek
Petr Čech didn’t top the poll this time out as he has been dropped by Chelsea. However, the goalkeeper’s agent says the 32-year-old has no intention of leaving Stamford Bridge during next month’s transfer window. By contrast, his Czech international teammate Tomáš Rosický could be set to leave another English club, Arsenal, for whom he has played for only 22 minutes in the Premiere League so far this season. His agent told the newspaper Sport the midfielder will prioritise the chance of regular playing time if – as he plans – Rosický is to continue leading the Czech team until the 2016 European Championship in France.
Czech swimmers set national records at World 25m Swimming Championships
Simona Baumrtová, photo: Michal Jurman
The Czech Republic didn’t take any medals home from the World 25m Swimming Championships in Doha at the weekend. However, the 14-member team didn’t disappoint, with Pavel Janeček and Jan Šefl setting new national records in the 400m medley and 100m medley, respectively. Simona Baumrtová, meanwhile, equaled her own Czech record in the 50m backstroke.
